According to Denmark's captain Nicoline Jensen, the fight to stay in the top division of the IIHF women's World Championships is significant to Denmark, and the growth of the game in her home nation.
According to Denmark's captain Nicoline Jensen, the fight to stay in the top division of the IIHF women's World Championships is significant to Denmark, and the growth of the game in her home nation.
No team wants to be relegated, and for Denmark, their presence in the top division of the IIHF World Championships is significant for their nation, and to the growth of women's hockey at home.
"We don't have a lot of girls playing hockey in Denmark, and just being here, it really helps young girls to see how far you can come when we have such a small nation," said Denmark captain Nicoline Jensen following their 5-1 loss to Germany at the 2024 Worlds.
"It means a lot that we can stay up here, and we still believe, we have to," she said.
Jensen, 31, made her debut with Denmark at the Division 2 World Championships in 2009. Since then she's helped her team earn promotion from the Division 1B tournament, to Division 1A, then to the top division in 2021 and 2022 before being relegated in 2022 while hosting the tournament. They were seconds from staying in the top division in 2022 before Germany scored to send Denmark back down. Last year they finished second behind China in the Division 1A tournament earning promotion again. The continued cycle up and down has been a constant for developing women's hockey nations, who are looking to take a permanent step up.